1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of telecommunications, and particularly to audio or audio/video conferencing. Specifically, the invention concerns a telecommunications terminal hosting an audio, or an audio/video conference mixer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of telecommunications, the diffusion of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, and of devices supporting them, is growing rapidly. A similar rapid growth is experienced by video communication (VDC) services and supporting devices.
Most often, services of this kind involve two intercommunicating peers, but an interesting extension is represented by “virtual” audio and/or video conferencing, where more than two parties (“peers”) are involved in the audio and/or video communication session, and can interact with each other by listening/speaking and/or viewing.
Apparatuses that enable virtual audio and/or video conferences are known as “conference mixers”. Essentially, a conference mixer gathers the audio and/or video contents generated by local capturing devices (microphones, videocameras) provided in user terminals (the “endpoints”) at each of the conferencing parties, properly mixes the gathered audio and/or video contents, and redistributes the mixed contents to every party to the virtual conference.
Conventionally, conference mixers are apparatuses distinct and remote from the endpoints of the conferencing parties, being core network apparatuses (referred to as “Master Control Units”, shortly MCUs).
Solutions for incorporating conference mixing functions in the endpoints of the conference peers are known in the art.
For example, in the published patent application US 2003/0142662 a packet data terminal is disclosed, particularly a personal computer, personal digital assistant, telephone, mobile radiotelephone, network access device, Internet peripheral and the like, which initiates, coordinates and controls the provision of on-demand conference call services, with little or no network support. A digital-to-analog converter for converting first and second packet data stream into separate analog representation; a selective mixer manipulates the analog representations to provide a mixed output; a multiplexer circuit distributes the packet data stream to a plurality of call sessions.